US Nuclear Power Plants Fast Facts

CNN Library

Updated 12:47 PM ET, Wed November 30, 2016

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The North Anna, Virginia, #1 and #2 nuclear power generation stations operated by Dominion Virginia Power are seen in this aerial photo on March 24, 2011, at Lake Anna, Virginia. (PAUL J. RICHARDS/AFP/Getty Images)

Reactors are massive structures, typically constructed with two to five feet of steel-reinforced concrete. The containments have an interior steel lining, and redundant safety equipment to add further protection.

Timeline:May 26, 1958 - As a part of President Dwight D. Eisenhower's "Atoms for Peace" program, the first commercial nuclear power plant opens as the Shippingport Atomic Power Station.

March 28, 1979 - The Three Mile Island nuclear plant built near Middleton, Pennsylvania goes into meltdown due to a faulty pressure valve in the Unit 2 reactor, design-related problems, and human error. The Three Mile Island accident remains the most serious nuclear power incident in the United States.

1989 - The Shippingport Atomic Power Station becomes the first successfully decommissioned nuclear power plant in the country.

January 1990 - After five years, 99% of the damaged fuel from Unit 2 reactor at Three Mile Island has been removed. The damage was so severe that the unit remains unusable and in storage.

August 29, 2011 - North Anna Power Station near Louisa, Virginia is damaged during the 5.8 earthquake that hits northeastern US. The epicenter of quake is less than 20 miles from power station. No radiation leaks are detected.

February 9, 2012 - The Nuclear Regulatory Commission approves plans to build two new nuclear reactors near Augusta, Georgia. It is the first approval of new reactors since 1978.

October 19, 2016 - Watts Bar Unit 2 begins commercial operation, making it the first US reactor to go live in 20 years. The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) President Bill Johnson said Watts Bar 2 will offer clean, low-cost and reliable energy to residents of several southern states for at least another generation.